The Webs That Bind Us
by x.Just.A.Phase.x
Summary: “I can't stop thinking about him” “Maybe one day we'll look back and realize we made the right choice, but until that day what we did is still wrong” “Aang's not my father....is he?” 'Push Me Over The Edge' 's sequel Z/K
1. My Second Chance

**Well I'm back !!**

**They tried to stop me but I prevailed!**

**Okay so this is totally "Push Me Over The Edge"'s __sequelso you haven't read that I would highly recommend checking it out or else the following will not make sense... like at all. **

**So yeah... Again this is a _Zutara!_**

_**Don't like don't read and everyone's happy!**_

**I do not own avatar ... I can wish, dream and beg but I still wont**

**Chapter One My Second Chance - Mai**

If there was one thing Mai had learned through all her life experiences, it was not to trust anyone. She learned that the day her guards had turned on her, the day that Zuko fled for his own life and left her...the day when when Thi had invaded. The dark day's after that, where she spent each one in anguish, praying to any god-like force that would listen just to her, to take her life from her.

But still, she had lived...

Mai knew the feeling of falling, the wind in her hair, as for a few glorious seconds she flew through the air, weighing nothing, feeling nothing. For those few seconds she had not been beaten, for those few seconds she had not been raped...for a few seconds none of those horrible things had happened.

It had all been a bad dream.

It was the stuff of nightmares and as she fell off the cliff face, she woke up and came back to her senses... with a ear splitting scream. Only to have it be cut short as she hit the water that gushed in a dark swirling mass far below. Darkness and pain, darkness and pain.

And the every pulling, dragging, suffocating water forcing her down deeper...

xxxxxxx

"AH!", Mai screamed, scrabbling into a sitting position, sending the sheets twisting around the bed as she failed about. Her heart pounding in her ears as beads of cold sweat dripped slowly down her back, making her shiver even though a warm breeze was pouring in through a open window.

"Zuko!", she whispered shakily, looking over to her side where the Fire Lord was still fast asleep. His chest rising and falling evenly, his face relaxed as he dreamed of untainted things, left undisturbed by her outburst.

Sliding out of bed she pulled on her red silk robe from a nearby chair and slid silently over to the balcony, where she hoped the cool night air would clear her head. Mai practically drank the air into her lungs, trying her hardest to push all the memories from her mind and slow her still thudding heartbeat.

"Mai?", she turned to see Zuko, now sitting up and rubbing his eyes sleepily he looked over at her, a slightly alarmed expression on his scared face.

The man could sleep through an avalanche, but just the slightest movement or shift of weight on the bed would made him wake up in seconds. She smiled and shook her head at him, but she shouldn't think poorly of him...he had been the shoulder she leaned on these past few years.

Mai knew she leaned on him hard, it had almost been six years since...

Since the nightmares...

He got quickly out of bed, sensing her mood. Walking slowly over to her he wrapped his arms around her carefully. She leaned against him and closed her eyes, Zuko would protect her, he had sworn to her he would. On the night she had final told him everything that had really happened to her in his absence, he grabbed her hands and swore to her that no one would ever touch her like that again.

That as long as he lived, he would protect her.

"Mai?", she opened her eyes

"Yes"

"Feeling better?", he asked resting his head on her shoulder

"Much", she sighed

"Think you can go back to sleep now?" he asked.

She shrugged but let him lead her back to bed. He wrapped the sheets around her and kissed her forehead softly.

"Aren't you going back to sleep?", she asked, confused when he didn't join her.

"No, I'm awake now", his voice was muffled as he dug through a closet "I'll just finish the final preparations for Katara and Jouki"

Mai's eyes snapped open. Thats right _they_ were coming tomorrow. She sat back up and watched as Zuko pulled a shirt on over his head. It was the first day of summer, and just like the first day of all the summer's since Katara's child could walk, she would come here.

For most of the summer.

Just the two of them.

"Already?", she sighed, not even attempting to guess the time.

"No use trying to sleep when the mind and body are restless" He replied.

She was tempted to point out that he had been out cold only a few minutes ago, but decided to bite her tongue instead.

"Besides its not that early", he finished.

She looked out at the sky that was still as black as a chunk of freshly mined coal or a bottle of rich, newly mixed ink.

"It sounds like your making poor excuses", she said slowly, watching him with a judgmental eye as he finished dressing.

He looked at her and rolled his amber eyes, "I just want everything to go smoothly tomorrow"

"Its just the two of them, not the king of the water benders or something!"

"They have a king?", Zuko asked, in a way where Mai couldn't tell if he was being serious or just making fun of her.

Mai sighed and flopped back down. Why the summer anyway? Why just Katara and the kid? She really didn't want to think about the water bender or her son right now. Zuko walked back over to her oblivious to her sour mood, and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"You know where to find me if you need me" he said before slipping silently out the door.

'Yeah' Mai thought dryly 'attached to Jouki at the hip'

Maybe it was because Mai could no longer bare children that lead Zuko to form such a strong relationship with the young boy. Maybe despite all the times Zuko had said he didn't care about her 'condition' were lies to make her feel better.

What kind of a queen was she if she could not give Zuko a child?

Mai sighed and buried herself deeper into the covers, praying the nightmares would leave her in piece for the rest of the night.

_**Memories have left you broken**_

_**and the scars have never healed**_

_**the emptiness in you is growing **_

_**theres so little left to feel**_

_**your scared to look back on the days before**_

_**too tired to move on, now you think your only one **_

_**If you're afraid to fly then I guess you never will**_

**-Its the only one you've got**

**by three doors down**

**I only have a vague idea of what I want to happen in part of the story so if you have a idea please drop me a review**

**when I say idea I don't mean **

"**GET TOPH AND ANTHONY TOGETHER DAMN IT" (cough, Cho, cough)**

**or**

"**Zutara sucks, Kaang rules!"**

**I mean actual plot lines please people**

**I'll love you forever and give you a very yummy cookie...**


	2. Seeing is Believing

**DISCLAIMER- I do not own avatar, I do own a imagination which in it's self is cause for worry**

**Chapter two, Seeing is believing**

"Yes yes we know Anthony" hissed the creature in a high pitched sequel "Sister's sisters! She's looking for Anthony!"

Toph felt the thing move and jiggle around, and was very glad she could not see the creature in front of her. Even from using vibrations all she could decipher from it was its shape, which was (as far as she could bare to guess) a sickening glob who's density and shape changed every few seconds.

It had taken her most of the day to finally find the cave since none of the local villagers dared to take her more than half way. Her legs were still caked with mud that was dying uncomfortably, but now she had firm rock under her feet compared to most of the way here which had been through knee deep mud. The inside of the witches cave was cool, dry and very large...for being half submerged. The entrance was a old maple tree, it had taken Toph a good hour to kind the right branch that served as a lever to open the door...

"Anthony..." another voice said in almost a purr " its been a long time since we've heard that name"

"Ever so long" said another in a sing song voice.

So the legions were true, the witch of Blue Crow swamp was actually witch's.

Why was the earth bender standing in a small clave face to face with some kind of beast she couldn't see? Because supposedly it ... (or they) could help her. The witch, of sorts... was said to know almost everything about every living thing that stepped foot in the world, using some sort of vibrations almost like Toph, but much more powerful.

A dirty little peasant girl had told her the story of the witch and after over five years of traveling the world Toph figured that there wasn't much left she hadn't hunted down.

She had tried the crystal seers at the end of the oceans, the old wisdom from the elders of every nation and any library she came upon she scoured, looking for any hint or clue. Every winter she would check up on Katara and the rest of the gang before she would began again her search for anything that might bring her closer to Anthony the next spring.

The stupid, no good, dirty, rotten, klutzy, infuriating...lovable boy.

_That_ boy was the reason she was standing very vulnerable praying the glob didn't have a mouth... or at least one with very many teeth.

The story of the witch was a odd one, but then again so was a flying boy and a demonic sister. It told of four friends each of them came from a different kingdom. All so very different, their only similarity being forged through their strange friendship. The story cuts off into different versions, but no matter how the story's went they all end with the four friends being bonded together into one deformed body due to meddling in dark magic and exiled into deepest swamp as punishment.

So not really knowing what to expect Toph shrugged and decided she had gone after weirder things, but all that was before she had actual met the witch...witch's.

"Yes, yes sister!" said the first voice, "very long time"

"What has he done now little blind one?," asked a new voice, that soft and kind, like a mothers whisper.

"He...uh...well the two of us are...were," she muttered, struggling to explain her motives to herself, as well as them .

They were silent, patiently waiting for her to finish.

"I...I love him" she said slowly, letting the words spill out of her mouth.

She blinked, that had been so easy, like breaking in and out.

_Anthony, I will find you? Can you see what I'm doing to find you? Are you watching me struggle for you?_

_Are you so cruel?_

"EEEEEEEEEEEEE!" the first two voices squealed with delight, disrupting Toph's thoughts as the mass jumbled around in what Toph took to be a fit of joy.

"Settle down" a new voice commanded, and the other two instantly went quite.

"What do you want us to do about it?" the voice same voice questioned Toph.

"Please," Toph found herself begging, "Please I need to see him again, if only for a moment. His sister, she doesn't think we even see each other much less be together"

"Ahhhhhh Kathleen," muttered the kind voice, "She's meddling again"

"She think its her right," snorted the sharper one, "Its not! She should just leave well enough alone, be fine with the way things were!"

If Toph had been confused before, she was even more confused now. How many witches were there?! And who's Kathleen?

"So is Kathleen...his sisters?" she asked slowly putting the very funny looking puzzle pieces together in her mind.

"Yes," said one of the ones who had squealed before, "the little..."

"Hey!" another warned.

"So can you help me?" Toph asked slowly as a wave of tension washed over the cave with the mention of Kathleen's name.

"We could," one said slowly, "meddling in her plans would cause all of us much happiness"

There were mutters of agreement and one of them giggled.

"She had Kathleen's name now," said another, "She can summon her"

"Control her even"

"Do you promise not to control her?" asked one

"Yes?" Toph answered not sure how she could summon her with out controlling her, "but what are they?"

The witch(s) were silent

"I mean I cant see, but they're human aren't they?" she went on shuffling her feet some

"Yes"

"and no"

The next second they were all talking at once

"They are human but..."

"Its hard to explain you see its not that they aren't its that they well aren't"

"They are the same as you but they have different..."

"Abilities?" another offered

"Yes different abilities and a different way of seeing things"

"We shouldn't say so much, its not our place to tell you this"

"You should ask her when you call her"

"But only use the name to help with Anthony, they came back down from their perch yesterday so she should hear you when you call"

"Their here?" Toph felt her heart lighten in her chest despite their explanation "Now!"

"No"

"Not really"

_Great not again_ Toph thought

"You see their back on this world, so if your going to do something do it soon so that Kathleen doesn't have much time to cause too much trouble"

"Again" one grumbled

"Use the name little one" they urged "but be weary of how loosely you do, such power she has, if one of dark intentions were to get her name..."

"Things would be bad" Toph ventured already backing out of the cave

"More than you know little one"

"Whack her one for me too!" yelled out another at Toph scurried out the cave mouth and into the sunshine.

_Not one thing you cared about_

_thats not been darkened by the shadow of doubt_

_-My Skies_

_James Keelaghan_

_**...**_** a lot of people (who have reviewed to tell me so) like Anthony, and Toph...usually together. And so this chapter was laboriously cut out, of a stupid idea. ...And a bored fan girl **

**Yeah the chapters will get better, just to keep you interested I wanted to throw you a preview but then I realized I haven't actually written out any of those amazing chapters that are currently filling my brain and stalling me finishing my physics homework.**

**But Anthony and me promise it will get better **


	3. Between the Leaves

**DISCLAIMER- I do not own ATLAB **

**I wish I had some more creative chapter titles (sigh)**

**Chapter Three** Between the leaves

Zuko peeked through the giant green bushes and felt a smile keep across his lips unwillingly, as he watched Katara. She was laughing, her hair tied back away from her tanned face as she splashed Jouki playfully. They were both standing in one of the palaces many fountain's, she was bended small squirts of water at him as he splashed back, holding his own.

She playfully sent a small wave over his head, he collapsed into the shallow water laughing. Rushing to his side, she fell to her knees next to him, checking that he was alright before throwing her arms around him laughing just as hard.

He felt his heart slowly melt, and found himself wishing above anything else to be in that fountain with them, to be a part of that. Sighing, he bit his lip and reminded himself not to think like that. They had been good, himself and Katara. The real reason they came every summer was so that Zuko could secretly teach Jouki to control his fire bending, a trait which to Katara and Zuko's horror he had inherited.

Luckily it had been Katara, not Aang who had found him playing with candle wicks when he was only three years old. Katara came to the fire nation a little early that year.

"Enjoying the view" said a cold voice behind him, making him jump.

He turned and felt the color leave his face "Mai" he breathed forcing what he hoped was a convincing smile. He felt a little bad for leaving her so much th past week, but it couldn't be helped, she was being unusually quite and reserved herself.

She stepped next to him and peered through the large hedge so she could clearly see Jouki and Katara, who were still rolling about in the water together. Her robes were black and drawn up tight around her throat leaving her face the only piece of flesh to be seen.

Not that this was unusual, she had only worn black since the...rebellion. She had been different since then, more closed up. Not letting anyone get too close, not even Zuko. She wasn't the same girl he had loved, but then he wasn't the same boy for which she had fallen for.

"He's a wonderful child," she said coldly, in a way that suggested there wasn't anything particularly special about the boy.

"He is," Zuko said, pride warming him as he slowly turning his back on Katara and his son to face her fully.

"I'm sorry you know," she said a bit coldly as she brought up a old argument, "that I cant give you your own"

"Mai, its fine really"

"You seem to ...never mind," she turned away from the hedge and stared at him.

He stared back at her, wondering what she was getting at.

"Anyway," she went on, "you shouldn't be here, its not fitting for a Lord to play peeping tom"

"Mai its not like..."

"Zuko?" Katara called out rounded the hedge with Jouki tucked under her right arm the two of them still soaking wet. Zuko turned his head so he would not stare at Katara as drops of waters rolled down her face and neck. Jouki waved and rushed up to Zuko who waved back...Mai nodded her head.

"Oh, hello Mai" Katara bowed her head slightly smiling uncomfortably at the couple.

Zuko cleared his throat "Hey Katara, Jouki. I see your enjoying our fountains"

The little boy beamed up at him "Yep, mom got me all wet!"

"She did that to me a few times too," Zuko smiled, crouching down so he was at the boys eye level, "but she hit me a lot harder"

The little boy laughed and Katara turned a slight pink.

"But Mom always won," he smiled, "she told me so"

"No I managed to beat your mother on a number of occasions," Zuko smiled up at Katara.

Jouki shook his head, "Thats a lie, mom said she always came out on top"

Katara choked a bit and Zuko bit his lip to hold back his laughter, well in a manor of speaking...

"What he means is that everyone knows I always beat you," Katara said quickly.

"Is that so?" Zuko smiled, "I would challenge you to a little bending battle but I wouldn't want your son to see his mother beaten so bad"

"Nice try," she smirked, even though he could see her pride fighting with her maternal insist to shelter her son from violence, "but I'm not falling for that"

Before Zuko could ask what exactly Katara thought he was playing at someone else spoke.

"How about I fight her?" suggested Mai from behind him.

Zuko's eyes widened as she slipped to his side smiling coolly at the three of them.

"I haven't practiced much these past years and I don't want to get too rusty"

"No its okay," Zuko straited up, "we were just kidding around, thats all"

"No really," Mai took another step toward Katara, "it would be a great honor to fight you"

Zuko felt his stomach drop, what was Mai planning?

"Ahhhh I well if you really want too..." Katara didn't seem to sure either, "Zuko can you watch Jouki for me?"

"But I wanna see!" the little boy complained.

"I don't think your mother would want you to...," Zuko trailed off as he looked at Mai's eyes and saw a glint there he didn't trust. The madness that had never quite left her after that night, the cool yet crazed look that made her black eyes shine.

Someone needed to stay here and make sure the two of them didn't kill each other.

He was pretty sure that given the right circumstances both of them would try.

"Maybe I should stay," he said slowly

"Just as well," Mai sighed leading the way through the palace until they came to a open space.

To Zuko's horror he recognized the arena she lead them too, as the same one that he had fought Azula in all those years ago. Mai showed no acknowledgment to this, but when he looked back he saw Katara's eyes widen just a bit.

"Lets not get too violent here," he warned, more to Mai who was stretching her arms.

"I _wont,_" she hissed twisting her body suddenly, so a shower of tiny darts flew at Katara.

Zuko grabbed Jouki out of the way just in time, but Katara who was focused more on her son than her own well being, got sliced across her arm as she reached out to shelter Jouki. She yelled out and clutched the bleeding streaks with her other arm turning toward Mai with a fire building up in her eyes.

"I wasn't ready," she hissed pulling her water from the worn pack that still hung by her side.

"My point," Mai hissed as the two women started circling each other, "need to keep the world famous water bender on her toes"

"You could have hurt my child!" Katara yelled snapping the water at her so it sent Mai flying back, "He had nothing to do with this!"

"He has everything to do with it" Mai growled.

Another small rain of darts flew at Katara, and Zuko pushed Jouki behind him feeling fear welling up inside of him. Katara dodge them easily and sent another wave slapping Mai across the face. Zuko sucked in a breath still trying to take in the situation which his mind was refusing to process correctly.

What had Mai said about Jouki?

Summoning up more water around her Katara turned back to Mai just in time to deflect a dagger that if she would have held off a few seconds would have surly hit her heart.

"MAI," Zuko yelled stepping forward, "We're getting too violent here"

But she ignored him and continued to attack Katara with more and more venom with each failure to hit her target. Katara for her part seemed to be holding back, if only a little. She refrained from hurting Mai too badly and stayed mostly on the offensive side, her blood splattering the ground like a demonic red rain spilling lightly from the cuts on her arm.

"Mommy" Jouki whimpered as the two woman practically growled at each other and attacked more savagely than before as the minutes wore on, neither one gaining much headway against the other.

Finally Mai sent a well aimed kick at Katara, sending her flying back to land on her knee's, exhausted. As if on signal both woman sagged slightly, letting their breaths catch up with them. Zuko let out his own breath, at least now it was over.

But Mai wasn't quite done, she pulled one last dagger from her sleeve and walked slowly up to Katara.

"Mai!" Zuko rushed over fearing the worst

But she merely knelt down next to the other woman and whispered something in Katara's ear. Zuko skitted to a halt a good three feet from them, they both turned to look at him. Katara's face had paled and Mai was staring coldly at him.

"Mai," he breathed in taking another slow step toward them, "Lets calm down, we proven our point"

"NO," Mai screamed, "Everything's all wrong!"

Katara struggled back to her feet, still breathing hard

"Mai"

"Ever since I came back!" she yelled tears streaming down her face "Ever since I crawled back to you!"

Zuko took another step toward her but she backed away

"Why did you lie to me!"

"Mai"

"Why did you lie to Aang! To all of us, both of you. Thinking that we'd never see through it all!"

"What are you talking about!" Zuko cried, knowing full well.

"That Bastard child" she yelled pointing at Jouki.

Jouki whimpered, and Mai's eyes flickered over to him then back to Zuko. No one else dared, move. What was there to do or say?

"Its true isn't it? How could you! Why did you!" she looked from Zuko to Katara and back "Neither of you deny it"

"It was six years ago Mai" Katara whispered "Nothings happened since"

"Its over and done with," Zuko added keeping his eyes on Mai's face "I've always and will always be there for you"

"There for me!" she laughed, "Shall I count all the times you have left me? I would need both my hands to list them"

Jouki gave another sound and Zuko shifted his body so he was shielding the boy from Mai's firey gaze. This did not escape her notice, Mai's face suddenly seemed to crumple as if she was in extreme agony.

"Why does everyone hurt me?" she whispered "I do not want to be hurt anymore..."

Standing up strait she cocked her arm back and with one last look defiant look at Zuko, she threw the dagger. Everything slowed as it flew through the air and hit its target.

"You killed me twice now Zuko" she whispered "it was you, not me who forced that blade forward, remember that"

Katara's screamed cut through the air as Zuko's heart stopped beating and Mai collapsed to the ground.

thirty minutes a blink of a eye

thirty minutes to alter our lives

thirty minutes to make up my mind

thirty minutes to finely decide

thirty minutes to whisper your name

thirty minutes to shoulder the blame

-Thirty minutes

J.A.T.U

**that was probably a little (cough. Lot .cough) OC on Mai's part but she a little emotionality unstable. And its not like she came up with the idea out of the blue, its not really mentioned here but she had been mulling over that idea in her mind ever since she realize jouki firebended. This is set a week or two into their visit so ...**

"**Solitude is very dangerous, great passions grow into monster in the dark of the mind"**

**-Medea **

**by Euripides**


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